The Texas Governor, Greg Abbott took to his Twitter to celebrate the anniversary of his accident which left him paralyzed.
On the 14th of July, the Governor took to his Twitter page to talk about his paralysis and how he refused to let it hold him back.
He wrote: “On this day 34 years ago my back was broken & I was paralyzed forever. My life seemed crushed. Little did I know that I would one day be Governor of the greatest state in America. It just shows that anything is possible in Texas. Never let your challenges stop you.”
Abbott in 1984 had gone out running when an oak tree had fallen on his back leaving him paralysed from the waist down. The Texas Governor then was only 26 and had to have steel rods implanted in his spine, undergo extensive rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, and has since then used a wheelchair.
And while many were inspired by the Texas Governor’s story, other were not so enthused criticizing him over his policies on healthcare which they say has stopped others from benefitting from the same medical care that he was privy to when he had his own accident.
On this day 34 years ago my back was broken & I was paralyzed forever. My life seemed crushed. Little did I know that I would one day be Governor of the greatest state in America. It just shows that anything is possible in Texas. Never let your challenges stop you. pic.twitter.com/qs2bgW7AEZ
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 14, 2018
David Luca was the there to criticise him saying: “Naturally, then you must support victims of negligence to have their day in court? Surely you think that ALL Texans should get the same quality healthcare YOU received after your injury. Right? Oh, wait…”
Another Twitter user Kris Zapp came for the Texas Governor saying: “Then you of all people understand the importance of good health care and access to health insurance. Those things often create challenges that stop a lot of people. Fight for them.”
Karen Collins said: “And now you spend your time making sure that other people can’t get the great health care that you got.”
The Texas Governor was not without his supporters, however, as some found his words inspiring.
A Twitter user simply called Max tweeted his support for Abbott saying: “Damn straight. At 15 I was told to go on SSD. That I’d be drooling on the couch from repeated seizures. I’ve crossed the Himalayas 2x in 12 days, advanced diver, trained/taught close quarter combat for 47 years. “If you can’t do one thing, do the next thing.”-Chuck Yeager”